Albums Nas & DJ Premier - Light-Years (Discussion Thread)
- Thread starter Dylmatic
- Start date
Apollo Kid
Veteran
I remember this album.
shyt had the forum on fire
shyt had the forum on fire
Formerly known as...
Collector
Album was hard.
AnonymityX1000
Veteran
Git Ready is such a banger.
One of the best beats on the album but damn NaS crypto bars make me cringe and I’m a btc investor myself. To me it would be the same as if a rapper based a song around his 401k.
AnonymityX1000
Veteran
lol not my expertise at all. So I'll take your word for it. The beat is crazy.
I know this sounds stannish and corny, but playing this album on CASSETTE damn near takes all the issues I had with it off the table 
My only issues were: NYSOM3 has a weird hook and UNDERGROUND was weak, both sound better on CASSETTE for some reason. Always fukked with the rest of the album.
My only issues were: NYSOM3 has a weird hook and UNDERGROUND was weak, both sound better on CASSETTE for some reason. Always fukked with the rest of the album.
ArchStanton
All Star
I played mine the other day and I'll be damned if my tape player didn't eat it. It ripped when I pulled it out. Only played it through once. Now I remember why I hated tapes!I know this sounds stannish and corny, but playing this album on CASSETTE damn near takes all the issues I had with it off the table
My only issues were: NYSOM3 has a weird hook and UNDERGROUND was weak, both sound better on CASSETTE for some reason. Always fukked with the rest of the album.
Alexander Wiggin
All Star
ArchStanton
All Star
Damn, how did I miss the connection? Sorry Nas!Never put me in your box if your shyt eats tapes
Nas and DJ Premier stand as two of Hip-Hop’s most celebrated icons—among the genre’s most influential and revered figures ever. Their collaborations span more than three decades, delivering timeless classics like "N.Y. State of Mind," "Memory Lane," "Represent," "I Gave You Power," "2nd Childhood," "Nas Is Like," and "N.Y. State of Mind Pt. II." Time and again, they’ve showcased undeniable chemistry, proving why they form one of the greatest rapper-producer partnerships in Hip-Hop history. Their bond is woven into the very fabric of the culture and will endure forever.After years of anticipation, delays, and buildup, their long-awaited collaborative album Light-Years finally arrives—and it lands with perfect, almost divine timing. It serves as the grand finale to Nas and Mass Appeal’s groundbreaking Legend Has It… series, a year-long celebration of Hip-Hop’s most important and influential artists. The series delivered historic releases from culture-defining legends including Slick Rick, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Mobb Deep, Big L, and De La Soul.ReviewNas & DJ Premier’s long-awaited and highly-anticipated collaboration album, Light-Years, is more than worth the wait. Across 15+ tracks, two of Hip-Hop’s most lauded icons and longtime collaborators prove that even after more than three decades in the game, neither has lost a step.
They take it straight back to the core of Hip-Hop: dope rhymes, killer beats, elite scratching, and authentic breakbeats.Things open luxuriously with the upbeat, piano-driven "My Life Is Real." Nas unleashes his signature intricate rhyme schemes and powerful messaging, showing he’s not only still sharp lyrically—he’s arguably better than ever. Standout bars include: “Already classic before you heard it, the spoiler was all my feature verses. I lined it up kinda perfect and then I hurled it. Rhymes in my minds like pearls and oysters. Boss of bosses, Morpheus on my bullshyt. The illest style right here 'til I got white hair. Gettin' foul type stares, we ahead light years. We come out, the shift starts. So let the fifth spark. Turn the light switch off, drive a block, switch cars. Toss the face mask and gloves, damn, I just caught a buzz. Pulled another hit on a beat, guess who the victim was? Guess who get reconfigured? The whole industry does.”That energy flows perfectly into the funky, old-school head-nodder "GiT Ready," where Nas reflects on his evolution—from Queensbridge hustler and drug dealer to iconic businessman and entrepreneur. He contrasts his early days with the growth he’s shown in the 30+ years since Illmatic, both as an emcee and as a savvy mogul.Nas & Preemo then deliver the long-awaited completion of their legendary trilogy with "NY State of Mind 3." Over a cleverly Billy Joel-sampled beat, Nas gets deeply sociopolitical with rewind-worthy lines like: “Steel toe, construct walk, Nike shorts at night at court. Stress'll cut your life short, I'm from egg rolls and duck sauce. Where the feds rolled on Dutch Schultz, City Island, and Sei Less. Plenty talent, the kids stay blessed, gamble and make bets. Throw on some DMX, his words, they live in all of us. Some get deported, some die young, but it's all a rush. On part two, I left you with two of my friends. And now our goals is that our sons don't end in juvenile pens. Rikers should be closed, MDC to Beacon. Wear ice if you real, or they'll rob you and pawn your piece in. If you was locked down for a while, it's a different place now. They buildin' hotels where it once was a Devil's playground.”"Welcome To The Underground" is another standout: Nas rides an upbeat, funky, Western-tinged guitar beat with stank-face-inducing flow, tracing his journey from Hip-Hop’s early days to the present. The Ice Cube sample from N.W.A.’s "Fvck tha Police" adds the perfect touch of elevation.One of the album’s—and the year’s—best cuts is the chillingly dark yet smooth "Madmen," featuring a perfect scratch hook from Wu-Tang legends GZA and Inspectah Deck. Nas glides effortlessly over Premier’s signature cuts, reflecting on fellow rap icons, his own writing process, and how the pioneers are celebrated.The timeless cassette-noise groove of "Pause Tapes" brings Nas’s signature storytelling to life—recounting how he used to make beats, many of which shaped his early rhymes. It’s arguably the album’s strongest track, made even more authentic by being built over a real pause tape.That transitions seamlessly into "Writers," where Nas pays homage to graffiti—one of Hip-Hop’s four core elements—over a jazzy, bouncy, hypnotic Premier production."Sons (Young Kings)" stands out as a deeply personal dedication to Nas’s son, Knight Jones—a spiritual successor to the heartfelt "Daughters" from Life Is Good.
Over heavenly piano-driven Premier production, Nas displays why he’s arguably the greatest storyteller ever. It’s a warm, feel-good record that highlights his profound narrative gifts.Premier flexes his elder-statesman chops by flipping Steve Miller Band’s "Fly Like An Eagle" into a smooth, upbeat breakbeat banger on "It’s Time." Nas delivers gems like: “Ayo, time flows through me. How many rhyme flows and lines can I recite with my eyes closed? Yo, let's shoot this movie, smoothly, listen to me. Let's take it to the past long before the new me. I seen it when it first got tricky, dippin' through the city. Whippin' new cars to the herb spots for the sticky. I was the one by the tree in the GS3 with Biggie. Next thing you know, where the time go? It's gone quickly. Spin down the street back where I used to be. Stompin' grounds, just touched down in QB.”Nas goes even harder on the cinematic, haunting "Nasty Esco Nasir," rapping cleverly from each of his historic personas.The long-awaited "My Story Your Story" reunites Nas and AZ. Like their legendary Illmatic pairing, it’s the album’s lone feature and proves their chemistry remains elite. The back-and-forth feels joyful and effortless—making a full Nas & AZ project feel overdue."Bouquet (To The Ladies)" sees Nas paying heartfelt homage to women in Hip-Hop from the genre’s earliest days to today.My personal favorite—and arguably the album’s best—is the deeply relatable "Junkie." Nas raps candidly about his (and most of ours) addiction to Hip-Hop as both art form and lifestyle.The elite, head-nodding boom-bap closer "3rd Childhood" serves as a perfect sequel to "2nd Childhood" from Stillmatic. Nas reflects on staying true to yourself in Hip-Hop, delivering quotable after quotable in a timeless way to cap the project.The album’s cohesiveness, strong concepts, and insane replay value make Light-Years not only the best Hip-Hop album of 2025, but one of the top 2 or 3 projects across all genres this year. In time, it will be recognized as another essential chapter in the legendary catalogs of both Nas and DJ Premier.
They take it straight back to the core of Hip-Hop: dope rhymes, killer beats, elite scratching, and authentic breakbeats.Things open luxuriously with the upbeat, piano-driven "My Life Is Real." Nas unleashes his signature intricate rhyme schemes and powerful messaging, showing he’s not only still sharp lyrically—he’s arguably better than ever. Standout bars include: “Already classic before you heard it, the spoiler was all my feature verses. I lined it up kinda perfect and then I hurled it. Rhymes in my minds like pearls and oysters. Boss of bosses, Morpheus on my bullshyt. The illest style right here 'til I got white hair. Gettin' foul type stares, we ahead light years. We come out, the shift starts. So let the fifth spark. Turn the light switch off, drive a block, switch cars. Toss the face mask and gloves, damn, I just caught a buzz. Pulled another hit on a beat, guess who the victim was? Guess who get reconfigured? The whole industry does.”That energy flows perfectly into the funky, old-school head-nodder "GiT Ready," where Nas reflects on his evolution—from Queensbridge hustler and drug dealer to iconic businessman and entrepreneur. He contrasts his early days with the growth he’s shown in the 30+ years since Illmatic, both as an emcee and as a savvy mogul.Nas & Preemo then deliver the long-awaited completion of their legendary trilogy with "NY State of Mind 3." Over a cleverly Billy Joel-sampled beat, Nas gets deeply sociopolitical with rewind-worthy lines like: “Steel toe, construct walk, Nike shorts at night at court. Stress'll cut your life short, I'm from egg rolls and duck sauce. Where the feds rolled on Dutch Schultz, City Island, and Sei Less. Plenty talent, the kids stay blessed, gamble and make bets. Throw on some DMX, his words, they live in all of us. Some get deported, some die young, but it's all a rush. On part two, I left you with two of my friends. And now our goals is that our sons don't end in juvenile pens. Rikers should be closed, MDC to Beacon. Wear ice if you real, or they'll rob you and pawn your piece in. If you was locked down for a while, it's a different place now. They buildin' hotels where it once was a Devil's playground.”"Welcome To The Underground" is another standout: Nas rides an upbeat, funky, Western-tinged guitar beat with stank-face-inducing flow, tracing his journey from Hip-Hop’s early days to the present. The Ice Cube sample from N.W.A.’s "Fvck tha Police" adds the perfect touch of elevation.One of the album’s—and the year’s—best cuts is the chillingly dark yet smooth "Madmen," featuring a perfect scratch hook from Wu-Tang legends GZA and Inspectah Deck. Nas glides effortlessly over Premier’s signature cuts, reflecting on fellow rap icons, his own writing process, and how the pioneers are celebrated.The timeless cassette-noise groove of "Pause Tapes" brings Nas’s signature storytelling to life—recounting how he used to make beats, many of which shaped his early rhymes. It’s arguably the album’s strongest track, made even more authentic by being built over a real pause tape.That transitions seamlessly into "Writers," where Nas pays homage to graffiti—one of Hip-Hop’s four core elements—over a jazzy, bouncy, hypnotic Premier production."Sons (Young Kings)" stands out as a deeply personal dedication to Nas’s son, Knight Jones—a spiritual successor to the heartfelt "Daughters" from Life Is Good.
Over heavenly piano-driven Premier production, Nas displays why he’s arguably the greatest storyteller ever. It’s a warm, feel-good record that highlights his profound narrative gifts.Premier flexes his elder-statesman chops by flipping Steve Miller Band’s "Fly Like An Eagle" into a smooth, upbeat breakbeat banger on "It’s Time." Nas delivers gems like: “Ayo, time flows through me. How many rhyme flows and lines can I recite with my eyes closed? Yo, let's shoot this movie, smoothly, listen to me. Let's take it to the past long before the new me. I seen it when it first got tricky, dippin' through the city. Whippin' new cars to the herb spots for the sticky. I was the one by the tree in the GS3 with Biggie. Next thing you know, where the time go? It's gone quickly. Spin down the street back where I used to be. Stompin' grounds, just touched down in QB.”Nas goes even harder on the cinematic, haunting "Nasty Esco Nasir," rapping cleverly from each of his historic personas.The long-awaited "My Story Your Story" reunites Nas and AZ. Like their legendary Illmatic pairing, it’s the album’s lone feature and proves their chemistry remains elite. The back-and-forth feels joyful and effortless—making a full Nas & AZ project feel overdue."Bouquet (To The Ladies)" sees Nas paying heartfelt homage to women in Hip-Hop from the genre’s earliest days to today.My personal favorite—and arguably the album’s best—is the deeply relatable "Junkie." Nas raps candidly about his (and most of ours) addiction to Hip-Hop as both art form and lifestyle.The elite, head-nodding boom-bap closer "3rd Childhood" serves as a perfect sequel to "2nd Childhood" from Stillmatic. Nas reflects on staying true to yourself in Hip-Hop, delivering quotable after quotable in a timeless way to cap the project.The album’s cohesiveness, strong concepts, and insane replay value make Light-Years not only the best Hip-Hop album of 2025, but one of the top 2 or 3 projects across all genres this year. In time, it will be recognized as another essential chapter in the legendary catalogs of both Nas and DJ Premier.
